Challenges of the new EU Commissioner for Development
In a challenge ahead, Europe has 2 main contributions to make: development policy thinking and development aid delivery.
Development policy is a key part of the "Europe 2020" vision presented by president Barroso. In particular, as we look ahead to a "global Europe", it is in times of development challenges that the EU can become a champion of global governance – challenges which include world economic recovery, climate change, migration, food security and making progress towards the Millennium Development Goals.
The Commission is already exploiting its expertise in development and strengthening the link between development policy, researchers, national authorities and civil society.The European research for development policies initiative has been launched, and the first annual report on fragile states was presented at the 2009 European development days event, the annual platform for development debate between policymakers, civil society and prominent leaders. To meet the Millennium Development Goals, the EU must implement its plans for greater coherence between policies in different sectors (“ policy coherence for development”) and make aid more effective by coordinating the Commission (EuropAid) and 27 EU countries in one cogent effort to tackle poverty worldwide.
The EU is the biggest aid donor in the world, channelling some 60% of total official development assistance to Asia, Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Caribbean and Latin America ( €49bn in 2008, or €100 per European citizen). By improving aid predictability and achieving a better division of labour (the 2 main principles of efficient aid delivery), the EU could minimise the burden on recipient countries and free up resources worth €3-6bn a year ( 2009 aid-effectiveness study). Helping developing countries recover from the economic slowdown and beyond will be the top priority for the incoming development Commissioner. In times of economic crisis, sustaining financing for development is difficult but crucial for poor countries suffering even more than their developed counterparts.The vast majority of these countries are experiencing falling exports, remittances and capital flows while at the same time lacking their own resources. In recent years, soaring food prices have brought poverty, hunger and malnutrition to nearly 100 million people, and the World Bank estimates the recent crisis will increase this number by 50-90 million, most in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Development matters to Europeans
A 2009 survey on development aid showed 9 out of 10 Europeans still believe development is important despite the economic downturn, though 3 in 4 have never heard of the Millennium Development Goals and may not be aware the EU is the biggest aid donor. Getting the message across properly about the EU’s concrete contribution to world development will be at the heart of the new Commissioner's work. Pooling intellectual resources and putting forward innovative ideas has always been – and will continue to be – a strong focus of Andris Piebalgs, an experienced Latvian politician who has held key positions in both national and European politics.
As the previous energy Commissioner, he led the development of a more competitive, sustainable and secure European energy system. Propelling EU energy issues to the core of EU policy-making won him the title "Eurocrat of the Year" from The Economist magazine in 2007.His previous experience implementing the energy part of the Africa-EU partnership, and as finance minister of Latvia, has given him practical experience in economic and political transition that will serve him well in his new capacity as Commissioner for development.
http://ec.europa.eu/development/icenter/featured_20100209_en.cfm